01 October 2011

That's a wrap!

I can not believe it is October first!!! Seriously the last thirty days have flown by yet crawled like a snail down a long road, but it's over and so is the 30 Days of Nothing challenge. And what a challenge it's been! In the last thirty days I have been positive about the challenge and I've been extremely angry and I've been humbled to the point where I've made major changes in our home. Major! This couldn't have come at a better time for us. I am so happy we did this....SO HAPPY! Thank you Christie for putting this challenge to the test for us and inspiring us to change things in our lives that needed a little clarity.

Here's our dinner from the one of the last nights of the challenge...Black Bean Burrito Bake which is a favorite around here!

This is one of those recipes that I use as a guideline.

I add LOTS of other stuff to those burritos, this time I added shredded carrots and spinach. Yum!

For us this challenge is not over, it's only just begun. Yep...we're going to keep moving forward to think about how and where we spend our money from here on out. Dinners out will be far and few between, if at all. Waste is no longer an option. Another pair of shoes is not a necessity for us but for someone who needs them. We've already made some changes that will be a challenge in themselves for all of us. We are getting rid of our big gigantic car that has been financially draining us each month with it's enormous gas consumption and payment. Yeah you read that right, we're getting rid of my car. I did say this challenge changed us right?? We may be a little cramped in the months ahead BUT the end result will be well worth the sacrifices we're making. It's all about the sacrifices in the end. They make us stronger and build a sense of pride in how we live our lives.

I've only just begun to figure out exactly how much we saved these last 30 days and go to the million pound food drive at church. We are so looking forward to writing that check! I'm also excited for my God Is photo challenge to begin on Wednesday! Come join me in capturing what God Is to you through your camera....you can click on the button below to find out more. And many, many thanks to everyone who's been supporting us through these last four weeks. We had so much family come into town for a visit and everyone was so understanding of our wishes of spending no money during their visit. Thank you for all your love!

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comments:

I am soooooo proud of you!!! What an amazing change in your life. It is amazing how much we DONT need!! I am right in the midst of all of this with you. With our significant decrease in income we have been forced to not eat out and live on a VERY TIGHT budget but we are doing it and we are doing an amzing job. We are working towards being debt free and I could not be happier about it. I thank God that we were pushed into this position with job loss beucase without it we would still be living like we did before. Living with limitations, not spending and giving all you can to The Lord is the place we are in and the place we want to stay. I am so proud of you and the decisions you have made and I will continue to pray for you.

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome!! It's so great to hear stories like yours. We let a FPU class and had several couples sell their cars to get rid of the car payments. Good for you! It was great to have others on this journey!

Congratulations! You are an inspiration to me and so many others. Thanks for sharing.

God Bless,Diane

P.S. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and always taking the time to write a note to me. I just started my blog a few months ago and not sure how long I can keep it up (it takes so much of my time. It really means so much when I read your comments and it helps to motivate me to keep blogging:) You are very sweet!

Congrats on making it through the challenge Kayce! That's huge! You could find a nice used mini-van or mid-sized SUV that you could afford if need be. We did. We have no car payments and don't plan on them ever! It's definitely an adjustment but buying things when you need them rather than you buying because you want them is the best decision we made. I love shopping clearance for stuff and I love couponing to the point where I'm saving 50% on what I buy.